Toreros just can't buck the Broncos

USD sophomore guard Trumaine Johnson stepped to the free throw line with 5.7 seconds remaining in overtime, a career-high tying 22 points already scored, his team trailing Santa Clara 63-62, and two shots to put the Toreros ahead.

And missed both.

“I can't tell you what happened,” he said after the 64-62 loss before 2,360 last night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. It was the Toreros' fourth straight loss after a 4-0 start to their West Coast Conference season.

“I wasn't tired, that's not why I missed them,” Johnson said. “I wasn't rattled, that's not why I missed them. I've just got to work on my stroke. I've been in that situation many times, all through high school. But that's completely different.”

Minutes earlier, Johnson had been the driving force as USD came back from four points down with 36.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Johnson's rebound and putback of a missed jump shot by Gyno Pomare with two seconds left gave USD the needed reprieve to send the game to overtime.

But Santa Clara (12-13, 4-4 WCC) parlayed five rebounds and three free throws from John Bryant, and baskets by Marc Trasolini, Kevin Foster and Perry Petty to outscore USD 9-7 in overtime and help Santa Clara prevail in the latest in the series of close games between the schools.

USD had won the past three matchups by a total of 11 points.

“It's always close with these guys, that's exactly what coach (Kerry Keating) told us in the locker room at halftime,” Bryant, the Broncos' 6-feet-11, 260-pound senior center said. “All week we practiced situations where we were down one or up one with 30 seconds to go, we worked hard at them and I think that helped us win the game.”

Bryant had 23 points and 20 rebounds, his fourth 20-20 game of the season and 18th double-double. He is battling Oklahoma's Blake Griffin for the top spot nationally in several rebounding categories.

And it looked for the better part of the first half last night like Bryant wouldn't get out of single figures in either points or rebounds.

In the first 12 minutes of the game, Santa Clara had more turnovers (11) than shots (7) or points (6) and USD opened up a 19-6 lead. Through that span Bryant had hardly touched the ball. When he eventually did, he missed his first two shots and didn't score until 3:44 remained in the half.

“When you turn the ball over like we were, you can't get into a rhythm on offense, you can't do anything and they get transition buckets,” Bryant said.

“Being the big man, running up and down the court is not an easy thing. And when you're turning the ball over and you get to half court and have to turn right back around and go to the other end, it's definitely frustrating.”

But the Broncos took advantage of brief USD lulls in defensive intensity and trimmed the lead to 23-20 in the final half-minute of the half. Johnson's driving layup just before the buzzer gave the Toreros a 25-20 edge at the break.